Butterfly, bees, flowers

Horticulture and Nature

Immerse yourself in nature.

If you're interested in nature, Vancouver Island is rich in learning opportunities. Develop an appreciation for nature as you explore your surroundings with a horticulture course or nature tour.

Horticulture courses

Whether you already have a green thumb or are looking to develop one, you’ll find inspiration in our horticulture courses. These courses are designed to help you learn about horticultural science and how it's related to many horticultural practices in the garden, nursery and greenhouse. 

New Amateur Landscape and Garden Design program

This micro-credential program will help you master landscape and garden design skills in just 16 weeks. You’ll gain the hands-on knowledge and practice you need to create the yard and garden of your dreams.
View program details.

Nature explorations on Vancouver Island

Immerse yourself in nature and enjoy a memorable learning experience as you explore Vancouver Island. Each year we offer tours to exciting destinations, including Yellow Point Lodge, Middle Beach Lodge and Wickaninnish Inn. You’ll enjoy the pleasures of nature alongside a team of naturalists, biologists, artists and historians. View details.

 

Courses open for registration
Courses open for registration

Nature Explorations

Nature Explorations are a great chance to connect with nature, recharge your batteries and explore the beauty of Vancouver Island.
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Peninsula Pursuits

Peninsula Pursuits courses generally take place at the Mary Winspear Centre and focus on the interests of the people who live and work in the community.
View series


Courses open for registration

Amateur Landscape and Garden Design

This micro-credential program will help you master landscape and garden design skills in just 16 weeks. You’ll gain the hands-on knowledge and practice you need to create the yard and garden of your dreams.
View program


Unearthing the mysteries of mycology

Juliana McCaig, an avid appreciator of fungi, shares her thoughts and experiences after completing the Introduction to Mycology course with Continuing Studies at UVic. This popular, self-paced community course is open to learners who want to dive deeper into the world of fungi. Here’s what Juliana had to say about her experience: 

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Building pathways to sustainable living environments through permaculture

Permaculture offers a mindset shift that encourages us to view our relationship with the environment as a partnership rather than a dominance. By aligning our daily practices with the wisdom of nature, we can create sustainable, regenerative systems that provide for our needs while respecting the intricate balance of the natural world. Embracing permaculture means taking a step toward a brighter and more sustainable future.

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Shifting perspectives on gardening

"Gardening is verk!" At least that is what horticulturalist and Continuing Studies instructor Jeff DeJong grew up hearing from his Dutch immigrant parents.

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Discovery: it's in our nature

with instructor James Clowater   By Therese Eley, Marketing Services We all grew up with nature shows showing animals from Africa and other countries, but so little do people realise what’s right here," says James C

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BLOOM – Local project establishes pollinator habitats

Inspired by her work with the RNS program, Tamara Batory has initiated a pollinator garden project for her neighborhood block in the Oaklands community of Victoria, BC.

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Patagonia Steppe Restoration in Chile

More than half of the earth’s grasslands are degraded from nearly a century of intensive agriculture, resource extraction, and urbanization.

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Forget the bucket list, discover the extraordinary in the ordinary

Our relationship with nature is complex. We usually think in terms of taking from nature. It provides us with our needs and wants. But to be a part of nature we also need to give back. There needs to be reciprocity.

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Julian Anderson Lead Steward for Cuthbert Holmes Park

Julian enrolled in the RNS program in 2002 thinking he’d learn better ways to pull broom, but instead he learned much about planning, and especially the importance of community involvement in ecological restoration. Whenever the courses allowed, he would do his studies and reports about Cuthbert Holmes Park.

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Innovative “Native Plant Forage Forest” harmonizes ecological restoration and permaculture

Bringing together ecological restoration and permaculture while also incorporating traditional ecological knowledge held by the Penelakut Tribe is the goal of Adam Huggins’ final project for his RNS Diploma.

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From Neglected Boulevard to Native Plant Space

"If we are going to save environmentalism and the environment, we must also save an endangered species: the child in nature." -Richard Louv, 2005

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Melissa Payne, Program Assistant
Tel 250-721-8481
Email bstassist@uvic.ca